One of Two
by rosegoldandgrey
Summary: born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... What if this was wrong? What if Voldemort had, unwittingly, marked two boys as his equals? What then?
1. Neville's Journey to Hogwarts

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongSooooo... it's been a long time, fanfiction dot net! I've been a little bit busy with, you know, university and my evil weekend job and learning to drive and all the other fun things being a young adult means you kinda have to do to be successful or respected in this crappy society! But, I'm back now! Not sure for how long but for now, this story's something I've wanted to write for a while, so I plan to stick with it for at least the first few chapters, and hopefully that'll inspire me to finish it. Imagine that! Me! Finishing a story! Unheard of! /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongAnyways, I'm trying something a little different this time- It's a HP story! This focuses on Neville, and what would Have happen if Voldemort had accidentally marked two boys as his equal instead of just Harry. I really hope you enjoy, and all feedback is appreciated! /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"-Longbottom residence, near the Yorkshire Dales National Park-/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The sharp rapping at Neville's door woke him up, as it did every day. His grandmother's voice came from the hallway./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Neville," she called, "It's time for breakfast!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He sighed and sat up in his bed. Early morning sunlight pushed through his curtains into the small, dusty room, on the first floor of his Gran's tiny house, on the outskirts of the tiny Muggle village. He pushed back the covers and stepped into the dank bathroom wedged between the two bedrooms, wondering why his grandmother had woken him so early./p  
p class="MsoNormal"After washing up, he looked into the mirror, at the unsightly scar splashed across his left eye, stretching from his forehead down to his jawline. No matter how much time passed, it remained a bright scarlet against his medium olive skin. Neville rubbed a finger across it, willing it down. He pushed his hair forward to cover as much of it as he could and chose a hoodie and jeans. If he felt uncomfortable with the staring today, he could just pull up the hood and shield himself a little better. With a jolt, he remembered what day it was- September the first, his first day at Hogwarts! Neville had been waiting for this moment for as long as he could remember. He's packed and repacked his trunk at least twenty times over the past few weeks, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. His books were nearly lined up. His pet toad, Trevor, sat in a travel tank, so that he wouldn't get lost in the chaos. Neville was always losing things, but not this time. He was determined to have a good start to the year./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Downstairs, his grandmother Augusta was in the middle of whipping up some sandwiches for his long train journey, lost deep in thought. Her only grandchild was leaving to pursue his magical education. She worried whether she had made the right choice in raising him in a Muggle setting- surely, he would be behind compared to those raised in strongly magical communities? She pushed the thought out of her head as she cut the crusts off of the bread and put it in a plastic tub. She had done what she had to. He knew his background, and some basic information about the Wizarding World, but she couldn't raise him around nothing but wizards. As one of the two boys He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had marked that fateful Halloween, he would be receiving more than enough attention at Hogwarts. He needed a relatively normal childhood, even with the scar that marked him as visibly different. The Muggle children had kept their distance, when Augusta and her one-year-old grandson had first moved in, with rumours she was a witch and was hurting her baby, but in the next few years he made some friends, started school, had a relatively normal (if quite Muggle) childhood. She had never hidden magic from him, but she had forbidden him from ever speaking about it, showing other children, or otherwise exposing them. Neville, the shy, sensible boy that he was, had caught on quite well. In their ten years here, he had never let anything slip- not from fear, but from loyalty to his grandmother. After losing his parents at such a young age, he had latched on and not let go. At first, she had found his clinginess infuriating, wishing he was more independent, but after a visit from Remus where he explained how traumatising incidents can make children hold tight to what they know, she soon changed her attitude. She doted on her sweet grandchild, and babied him a little, but what else was she to do? He had no-one else. Not family, not like her./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He came into the cramped kitchen and sat at the table, eating the rapidly cooling porridge with brown sugar she had set out for him, just as she always did on important days. he was quieter than usual this morning. Not so much as a peep out of him. She sat opposite him, finished with the sandwiches, and smiled fondly at the boy. "Neville," she said softly, "This is a big day for you. But if you don't feel ready, I'm sure we could write-"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""No," he interrupted, in his serious manner, "that wouldn't do anything- I have to go eventually, waiting a few months won't change anything. Besides, I don't want to stand out any more than I already do."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Augusta looked down at her boy proudly, and for the first time saw how big he had gotten. He was almost a teen now, she had to remember, and would be needing her less and less. "I'm proud of you," it came out almost as a whisper, a lump building in her throat, but he reached out and placed his and on top of hers./p  
p class="MsoNormal""It's okay," he said. "We always knew I'd go one day." She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Who knew one day would come so soon? "Besides," he dug back into his porridge, "Now you have more time for yourself, instead of worrying about me so much." Little did he know, this only made her worry more. She'd been to Hogwarts- she knew how dangerous it could be. And he had already faced more in his first year or so, than more wizards would have to in their entire lives. He had been there when his parents were tortured. She knew he couldn't really remember it, but she still heard his mumbled nightmares through the paper-thin walls of their little house. It still sat deep in his psyche, and she worried about how he would cope with being in a new environment, around new people. Her brave, precious boy./p  
p class="MsoNormal"She coughed back a tear and got up to put the sandwich-box in his bag. "Remember, I've arranged for you to meet up with the Weasley's son, Ronald, when we get there. It'll be good for you to have a friend on the train."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville cast his mind back to when he'd briefly met the Weasleys in Diagon Alley over the summer. A small herd, he'd thought, of flaming redheads, jostling each other, joking around. He didn't know which Ronald was. What he did remember was they had all stared at him, even if it was fleeting, except for the two adults, Molly and Arthur. Molly had hugged him and told him he was welcome to visit them any time, and Arthur had been busy grilling Augusta on how electric kettles worked./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Either way, he wasn't sure he was looking forward to seeing them again./p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"-King's Cross station, London-/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Keep up, Neville!" Augusta pushed the trolley, with the trunk and Trevor's little tank, through the busy platforms. Neville, by her side, looked around nervously as he tried to keep up with his sprightly grandmother. "Come now… it's just down here…" pushing past another crowd of confused European tourists, she approached a solid stone pillar. "Here it is," she announced, "Platform 9 ¾."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville looked at the pillar. It looked so… pillar-y. Looking back at his grandmother, he saw she had positioned herself a couple of metres back, directly facing the pillar./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Come on, come here," she said impatiently. He moved to be almost behind her. "Hold onto my sleeve, it'll be easier if we go through together. You remember what I taught you?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He nodded mutely, and gripped her arm a little tighter. They moved towards the wall… he closed his eyes, waiting for the impact… which never came. once he felt he could breathe again, he opened his eyes and saw the train, just as she had always described, red and shiny and… almost ready to leave. It was ten to 11. The porter helped lug the trunk onto the train, and Augusta began looking around frantically for the Weasleys. Spotting them, she waved them over. "Molly, Arthur, so good to see you again," she greeted them each with a kiss on each cheek. "You remember Neville." Molly kissed his cheek too, then called over the two twins. Neville nervously flattened the hair over his face again, and wondered if it would be rude to pull up his hood now./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hi Neville," said one of the twins. "I'm Fred, this is George." He nodded to the other, and they started climbing onto the train as their mother yelled at them to be good, the smaller ginger girl clutching Molly's hand waving quietly. . Neville went to follow, then hesitated as he looked back at his grandmother./p  
p class="MsoNormal"She gave him one last hug and smiled at him encouragingly. "Go on," she said, "Make some new friends. Send me an owl when you get there."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He smiled back, albeit sadly, and followed the two boys onto the train with less than a minute before departure, pulling the door closed after him. The porter walked down the length of the train, making sure everything was secure, and Neville heard the whistle blow. He looked back at his grandmother for the last few moments and saw her silently crying into her handkerchief. He began to choke up but swallowed it down as he turned back to the twins, waiting for him near the entrance of a compartment where two boys were sat on either window seat./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Neville, this is our baby brother Ron." They nodded into the compartment and moved aside so he could squeeze through the narrow doorway. "I guess our mum wanted you two to be friends, so we'll leave you be." Fred winked at Neville, "We have a few pranks to pull further down the train, but we expect you to be good and keep Ron in line."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey," yelped Ron, but they were already gone. He shook his head. "Hi, Neville. Good to see you again. This is Harry," he gestured at the other boy sat opposite him- their eyes met, and Neville felt a connection with this other boy he couldn't quite explain. Maybe it was his forehead scar, or something else. Harry felt it too, Neville was sure, but all he said was, "Hey. Good to meet you," and sat on the seat nearest the door./p  
p class="MsoNormal"It was going to be a long ride./p 


	2. The Train

**A/N: Look at her, uploading again! Wild**

 **T/w- there is some bullying in this scene, and it will be a theme throughout this story, so if that's going to cause you harm I suggest you stop reading here now because I would hate for that to cause you any harm**

 **Thanks for reading!**

Neville had had enough of the two other boys' glances at his scar. It had already been an emotionally taxing day- it had started to sink in that he was really leaving home- and their vague attempts at holding conversation with him were clearly futile. He was in no mood to talk. So the two were talking it out, having a great time it seemed, when the food trolley came by.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" the kindly witch peered into the compartment. Neville, with his sandwiched in the box his grandmother had packed him, shook his head, and Ron mumbled something about corned beef and held up a rather quashed looking package, but Harry offered up a handful of coins and bought some of everything. He, Ron and Neville were soon feasting on a variety of sweets, pies and other treats, both packages of sandwiches forgotten. Neville had been hesitant at first, but Harry had insisted, forcing a pie into his hand- "It's just one pie, Neville, just try it, theyre really good-" while Ron made his way through a box of Bertie Bott's beans- "Try one, every flavour, they have, heard some terrible stories from Fred and George, something about earwax-"- it had been hard to resist those two when they were so determined.

Soon they were skimming over dimming fields, stuffed to their limits and exchanging chocolate frog cards, when a girl with bushy hair and slightly large front teeth opened the door, already in her school robes. She looked harried as she closed the door behind her, panting slightly, thenleaned her back against it, as though she was being chased by someone. She jumped a little when she saw there were occupants in the carriage. "Hello," she said in a small voice, like a squeaky imp.

"Hi," said Ron, "You alright there?" he nodded toward the door. "You can sit down, we don't bite."

She nodded shakily and slid into the seat opposite Neville, on the same bench as Ron. "Ran into some not-so-friendly other first years." She smiled, but it was tiny and forced and didn't reach her eyes. "Hermione Granger." She introduced herself.

"I'm Harry, this is Ron, and Neville." Harry gestured to himself, then Ron, then Neville, who shrank further into his top. Hermione did her small smile again, and glanced at the door, clearly paranoid about something.

Neville got up and pulled the door open a few inches, looking up and down the corridor. He saw three boys walking down the corridor. The first was a blond boy with a pinched face, flanked by two rather boulder-like boys. All three had mean expressions on their young faces.

They opened the door to their nearest compartment, said a few words to the occupants, then turned to leave. They must be looking for her.

Neville pulled his head back before the boys could see him and turned to Hermione. "Three boys? Blond one, two bigger sidekicks?"

She nodded, but before she could say anything, the door slid open again and the pinchy boy walked in, his two friends not able to squeeze into the now quite full carriage. "Ah, so this is where you got to," he said, then turned to take in the other occupants. His smirk got even wider when he saw Ron, and he barely glanced at Harry and Neville, which suited Neville perfectly.

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry and Neville. The blond boy smirked more.

"Quite cost in here, isn't it?" he said, and kicked the girl in the shin. She shrank backward in the seat next to Ron.

"What do you want?" said Ron, in an uncharacteristically rough voice. He stood up and faced the other boy. Who sneered, naturally.

"Oh look, boys," he said over his shoulder to the other two boys, "a Weasley."

All three snickered.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" he said, still in that harsh voice.

"I was just getting to know our friend here," he gestured at Hermione. "And now I get to make three more. Draco Malfoy," he nodded to Harry and Neville, who had now stood to join Ron. Hermione was still shrank into the seat.

"I know who you are," said Ron. "And we don't want you here. You need to leave."

"Well now, I didn't get your friend's names," Malfoy ignored Ron entirely and turned to Harry and Neville. His eyes glanced over Harry's small forehead scar, and Neville's, taking up half of his face. "You two might want to do something about your faces, they're hideous."

Neville shrank a little, but still stood his ground. Harry spoke up, "I think Ron's right, you need to leave."

Neville nodded in agreement.

The blond boy stared at the three of them, then smiled- but not in a nice way. In a very, very mean, scheming way that made Neville think he was up to no good. "Fine. But you'll see us again soon," he threatened. And like that, the three turned and left, the compartment door rattling shut after them on its frail looking rails.

The remaining boys turned back to Hermione. "Are you okay?" Ron asked with concern.

She nodded and gulped for air. "They… weren't very nice." She said quietly.

The boys sat down, and the rest of the journey passed more or less in silence.

 **A/N- Future chapters may have references to self-harm, suicide and depression. Please read on carefully if these are triggers.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	3. The Sorting

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N So I was really inspired to get this chapter over with because there are a few small differences. One, Quirrell isn't in this story. Because I don't want him. I'm not going to spoil anything yet, but you'll understand why soon hopefully. Also, there are some (a lot of) variations between the book and this version, even though I'm literally referencing the book as I write. Seriously, it's in my lap right now. /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongAnyways, I hope you enjoy!/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"The Sorting Ceremony was a first-night tradition at Hogwarts. First-year students were always anxious, and it showed. The teachers and students sat near the front of the Great Hall could see the worry on the new kids' faces as they were led in by professor McGonagall, who stood them in a line between the four tables. Some smiled encouragingly at the group of 11-year-olds, some just wanted the ceremony over with. Several ghosts floated past, some speaking words of encouragement, others simply sized up the new students. The Fat Friar mentioned he hoped to see them in Hufflepuff, his old house./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ron, Harry and Neville stood huddled together on the edge of the crowd./p  
p class="MsoNormal""What house do you think you'll get?" Ron whispered./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm not sure," admitted Harry, "I don't really know too much about them. You?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm hoping for Gryffindor, but I'm not sure I'll get it. My whole family's there, I'd hate to be alone in another house."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sure you will," said Neville. "I'm sure they think about those things when sorting us, right? Like where we want to go?" In truth, he wasn't sure. As long as he was with Harry, or Ron, he was fine. He just didn't want to go into a house with none of his friends./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Professor McGonagall stood in front of the students. "Welcome back, current students, and welcome new students. As we embark on this new school year, I want each and every one of you to think about what you want to get out of this year. Of course, you can aim for good marks, or aim to start your magical career. But I want you to think about how you want to develop as individuals. Something that is overlooked too much is your individuality. You are all here because you are gifted with unusual and special abilities. I hope each and every one of you fosters these talents and discovers something new about yourselves, no matter your lineage, preheld conceptions and prejudices. I want you to remember that everyone here has earned their place and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated." Neville could have sworn she was glaring at Malfoy, who was muttering to his two friends. "Now, the sorting ceremony will commence shortly. When I call your name, please step forward and place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will help you find your house." She gestured to a small wooden stool topped with an old looking, pointy witch's hat, which had appeared while she was talking, and nobody had noticed. Must have been a hand gesture that made it appear- em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"she could do magic without a wand or verbal incantation- /emNeville suddenly felt very out of place. His grandmother had only ever used magic for small spells, and even then, span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanit was with a wand and verbal spell. Before he knew it, names were being called. Abbott (Hufflepuff)... Crabbe (Slytherin)… Finnegan (Gryffindor)… Goyle (Slytherin)… then came Hermione Granger. She basically sprinted forward and shoved the hat onto her head. The hat almost immediately called "Ravenclaw!" Ron nodded approvingly. She went and sat near some of the other first years at the Ravenclaw table, all of them looking equally nervous./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Before Neville knew it, it was his turn. He inched forwards, not liking the feeling of being watched by the whole hall and pulled the hat as low over his face as it would go. As it was an adult size hat, it slid easily over his face, blocking out the sea of faces./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The hat was dark and a little warm around his ears. A small voice whispered in his ear. "Longbottom, eh? I knew your parents… noble Gryffindors, til the end…" Neville sucked in his breath. "But I see other things in you… a touch of Hufflepuff, loyalty and hope in you… and what's this…span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spaneven a little Slytherin? I see some ambition and cunning… repressed, of course- you weren't raised to be flamboyant…" Neville closed his eyes tight and silently wished for Gryffindor. "You want Gryffindor? Very well… GRYFFINDOR!" the roar was loud in his ears, and the hat was pulled off of his head by Professor McGonagall. Disoriented, he stumbled down the stairs and went to sit near the twins, who gave him friendly arm punches as he passed them. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He turned to watch the sorting, and saw the pale blond boy be sorted. It was the first time he'd seen him look nervous. The hat took a few moments, eventually choosing Gryffindor. He grouchily moved to the Gryffindor table, eyeing the seated people with distaste, and sat opposite Neville. When he realised who he was, he glared and turned away./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Within the next few minutes, it was Harry's turn. The hat took a long time with him, and eventually called, "Slytherin!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Getting over the initial shock of that, Harry moved to the Slytherin table, where he sat next to a rather pretty girl called Pansy Parkinson, who seemed to take an immediate liking to him. Neville could have sworn he saw jealousy flash across Malfoy's face./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Not long after, it was Rom's turn. He sat on the stool for barely fifteen seconds, before being sorted into Gryffindor too. He joined Neville and turned away from Malfoy in disgust, instead choosing to talk to his older brothers and Neville./p  
p class="MsoNormal"After Zambini, Blaise had been sorted into Slytherin, Professor Dumbledore stood and the room fell quiet again. "Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, and welcome new students. Now, I know you are all famished from a long day, so I only have a few words to say. And those are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He sat again as the students politely applauded./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The students turned back to the tables, which were now piled high with food- roast beef, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, roast vegetables, condiments, and, for some reason, mint humbugs. Neville piled his plate high, suddenly realising how famished he was, and chose to eat quietly as the other students shared personal anecdotes and gossip. Apart from Malfoy, who still seemed angry at where the hat had chosen to place him./p  
p class="MsoNormal"As the last traces of the main course melted away and the serving dishes replaced with desserts, the conversation turned to family./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Me Mam's a witch," Seamus Finnegan said. "Dad's a muggle. Bit of a nasty shock for him when he found out." His strong Irish accent made it come out as one long word. The table laughed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ron came from a long line of pureblood wizards, three of his big brothers were also sat at the Gryffindor table- Fred, George and Percy. Malfoy, dragged into the conversation by Percy, muttered something about coming from the prominent Malfoy bloodline- Neville took that to mean he was pureblood too. When Neville was asked, he simply said, "Nan raised me, and she's a witch, but for a long time they were worried that I was a muggle. She cried when I got my Hogwarts letter." And didn't answer any more questions. It made his stomach hurt to think about his Nan. He had barely thought about her all day- and, he noticed with a jolt, it was almost 9pm. He'd been away for ten hours, one of the longest stretches he'd ever been away from her./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Before he knew it, the cakes and sweets vanished from the plates, leaving the tables sparkling clean. Dumbledore stood, and the hall fell quiet. "Now that you've all had a chance to fill up, we have a few announcements to make./p  
p class="MsoNormal""First years should not that the Forbidden Forest is- well, forbidden, to all students. A few of our older students would do well to remember too." His eyes seemed to pause when they passed Fred and George and twinkled as though they had an inside joke./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that magic should not be used in the corridors between lessons./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Quidditch trials will be held on the second week of term, on the quidditch pitch. Please contact Madam Hootch if you are interested in trying out. However, I must remind you that first-years are not permitted to play for their school teams. Plenty of time for that in future years./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Finally, this year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds this year, for everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"A few nervous laughs tittered through the students, but it definitely put a damper on the mood a little. Neville saw a few students glance at each other nervously./p  
p class="MsoNormal""And now, off to bed!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "First day of classes in the morning, and I'm sure you all want to be well rested for your lessons./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Now, let us sing the school song before we all go to bed."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"A loud din began to ruing through the room, as students began to sing the school song at different paces:/p  
p class="MsoNormal""emHogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,br /Teach us something please,br /Whether we be old and bald,br /Or young with scabby knees,br /Our heads could do with filling,br /With some interesting stuff,br /For now they're bare and full of air,br /Dead flies and bits of fluff,br /So teach us things worth knowing,br /Bring back what we've forgot,br /Just do your best, we'll do the rest,br /And learn until our brains all rot."/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The last students singing were the twins, at the pace of a funeral march. Professor Dumbledore directed the last few notes with his want, and wiped his eyes. "Ah, music- a magic beyond what we can teach! Now, goodnight all."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville caught Harry's eye as he stood and felt an electric jolt to his stomach. It was like they were two parts of a whole, like they knew each other from a long time ago, but didn't know where from. Then Harry turned back to Pansy and she said something to him, and he laughed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The students began to file out, following their prefects. Percy led the Gryffindors through a maze of stairs and corridors, up to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and gave the password, Caput Draconis. The door swung open to reveal a warm, merry common room, draped in maroon and gold tapestries, a roaring fire blazing, overstuffed armchairs and couches scattered around the circular room. Up two staircases were the dormitories, one for the girls and one for the boys. Exhausted, students began to file up the towers. As Neville, Ron and Malfoy entered their room, they saw that the calm night had turned to rain, tapping against the windows. Fortunately, the fire's warmth reached all the way to the highest point in the Gryffindor tower, and they were kept warm as they got ready for bed. They were joined by Seamus Finnegan, the Irish boy, and Dean Thomas, a dark-skinned black boy, who gave large grins. He and Seamus laughed a lot as they got ready for bed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"As he laid in his four-poster beds, Neville found himself unable to sleep, despite feeling exhausted from the long day. He listened to the lashing rain against the windowpanes, which was now keeping out a storm./p  
p class="MsoNormal"And he wondered./p 


	4. The Start of Classes

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N- I know this story is supposed to be focussed around Harry and Neville, but I really wanted a Draco chapter. I also really like writing Draco because he's such a complicated character, but he hides it so well. You can really project onto him. /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongOne other thing- a private message asked me why I put Harry in Slytherin, Hermione in Ravenclaw but not one of the golden trio in Hufflepuff. Basically, I wanted to separate the golden trio and add more Neville and Draco, But didn't want to put Ron in Hufflepuff because I find that hard to write for some reason. Ironic, because I really identified as a Hufflepuff growing up. Oh well. /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongSo please enjoy, and leave a review if you'd like- it would be really helpful!/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Draco Malfoy still couldn't believe he was in Gryffindor./p  
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Gryffindor. /em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Of all the houses./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He might as well leave Hogwarts right now. Maybe Durmstrang would still accept him. Curse his mother, insisting he stayed close to home. He didn't feel close to home, in the red and gold filled tower, surrounded by people he didn't know or particularly like. He felt a pang when he thought of how easily Pansy had latched onto Harry, as though he were the new Draco Malfoy./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Breakfast was particularly painful that first week. The Banquet was manageable because people at least tried to talk to him, even though he was blunt and rude. But now everyone was ignoring him because they knew how rude he was, and it was somehow even worse./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Not that he'd admit that to anyone, of course./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He could barely take two bites of his toast before he left the table on Friday morning, reaching the first lesson of the day early. He chose a seat near the back and tried to focus on the class instead, which turned out to be a futile task. Twenty minutes in, and he had given up on any hope of this class being of any use to him. He scribbled in the half inch of margin he left blank in his roll of parchment, frustrated, and glanced up at the board. Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, seemed to have made it his personal goal to kill his students through sheer boredom. He droned on about some inconsequential troll attack, at some point in the 11supth/sup century, triggering the Wizarding Convention of 1294… and Draco had stopped listening again. He turned the scribble into a small black square, then added sharp spikes sticking out of the sides…/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He glared at the back of Potter's head as he whispered something to Pansy, and she giggled. Malfoy suddenly felt small, replaceable. It wasn't a nice feeling./p  
p class="MsoNormal"After class had finished, he collected his stuff and left in a hurry, avoiding eye contact- and crashed into the Granger girl as she turned the corner. "Watch out," he snarled as they scrambled to pick up their books./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry," she said in a small voice, then looked up at him. They both looked paler and more shrunken than they had a mere week earlier. Even Hermione's bushy hair seemed flatter, if that was possible. Immediately she broke eye contact and sidestepped him to get into the classroom he had just left. Of course, Ravenclaw must have History of Magic with the Hufflepuffs, second period. he shook his head and waked on to his next lesson, double Potions, with the Slytherin head of house, Professor Snape./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He immediately seemed to have it out for the Gryffindors./p  
p class="MsoNormal"As soon as they entered the dungeon, he hissed at them to sit down and be quiet. They scrambled into their seats, and he began pacing up and down between the tables, finishing at the looming desk at the front. Malfoy, to his dismay, was seated with Potter, Pansy and Neville. Two of them he could not have had less in common with, and one he felt had replaced him within minutes of being separated./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Professor Snape took the register, pausing after several names with a nasty smirk momentarily wrapping across his face. Fortunately, he did not pause at Malfoy's name. when he was done he rolled up the parchment and began stalking the room once again./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Welcome to your first Potions lesson," said Snape, not in a particularly welcoming tone. "This will be one of the more… practical classes you will be taking throughout your educational career. Here, you will learn everything from death, despair and misery, to joy, elation and truth." He didn't sound particularly joyful or elated, either./p  
p class="MsoNormal""This term we will be covering the basics, as many of you will not have any previous potions experience." He looked down at the roll of parchment in his hand. "Let's see how many of you have any knowledge at all. Longbottom!" he shouted without warning. Longbottom trembled in his seat. "What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville looked around, with panicked eyes. "I… don't know, sir."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Snape's smirk got even wider. "Tut, tut… it seems fame isn't everything. Let's try again. Where would you look if I asked you to find a Bezoar?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Once again, Neville looked panicky. "I…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The whole class was quiet and still now, waiting for either Neville or Snape to speak. Neville's mouth opened again, but no sound came out. Snape tutted again./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well, well… clearly, you need to study some more. Five points from Gryffindor." He turned and began the class, with every Gryffindor glaring at him. Within the hour, tenspan style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanmore Gryffindor points were lost, five by Ron for talking to Seamus and Dean, and five by Paravati Patil who accidentally added a touch too much lacewood flies to her potion./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Malfoy seemed to avoid the worst of Snape's anger, but maybe that was because he knew his father. Old Pureblood families- ones that weren't blood traitors, at least- tended to stick together. It asuited him perfectly, and gave him time to reflect on Hermione Granger./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But by the end of the two hour class, every other Gryffindor was ready to murder Snape./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Nightmare, honestly," said Ron as he walked to lunch with Dean, Seamus and Draco. Who was brooding, of course. "How are we supposed to pass Potions when he hates us?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm dropping it as soon as I can," said Seamus darkly. "Imagine having him for OWLs, let alone NEWTs!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Draco wasn't listening. He was watching the Ravenclaw table to see if Granger had turned up. After seeing how thin and pale she had gotten, he wanted to make sure she was turning up for meals. He didn't know why he cared. He just did./p  
p class="MsoNormal"She came in late and sat at the end of the table closest to the door by herself. He watched as she ate just a few bites of her stew, before giving up and opening a heavy-looking book that wasn't on the textbook list, and rapidly started taking notes. A few moments later, the Ravenclaw prefect walked past and gave her a supportive smile and pat on the shoulder, which Hermione returned before turning back to the book. Her eyes met Draco's momentarily, and an electric jolt hit his stomach and he dropped his eyes to his own plate. Every so often, he would glance up, and he could swear he felt her doing the same thing but didn't catch her eye again./p 


	5. An Unlikely Conversation

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N- This chapter is slightly shorter because ya girl is dying of flu right now. I'm pretty sure I had a fever while writing this part so if it doesn't make perfect sense, I'm sorry, I know it's not my best. /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongAnyways, enjoy, and please leave a comment- I love hearing feedback! /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Harry had found himself quite comfortable at Hogwarts, and surprisingly, as a Slytherin too./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Sure, it wasn't what he'd expected. And the people were sometimes rough and crude, and made jokes at the expense of muggles and muggle-borns. He walways felt uncomfortable, and excused himself whenever that came up./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But other than that, he liked the common room. It was under the lake, and all the light coming in was tinged with a light greenish-blue. His bed was larger than anything he'd ever slept in, and much more comfortable. No-one yelled at him for forgetting to clean the inside of the bath drain or anything dumb like that. And he was fed regularly, and even though aunt Petunia never starved him, he was never allowed to eat whatever he wanted. At the feast, when the food had appeared, he realised how hungry he really was./p  
p class="MsoNormal"And, for the first time, he had a friend at school./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He and Pansy had become friends at the first-night feast, when they were both sorted into Slytherin. She was a Pureblood Princess, she had joked. From one of the old 28 pureblood bloodlines that had yet to be tainted with muggle blood. Harry felt a twinge in his stomach, being halfblood himself, and had turned back to his treacle tart without much of a reaction./p  
p class="MsoNormal"She must have sensed his discomfort, because she dialled back the blood purity talk when he was around. He knew she still joked about it with other purebloods, like Blaise Zabini, but he figured that was none of his business. They were childhood friends, and probably had been raised to think like that./p  
p class="MsoNormal"About a week in, on the first Saturday of term, he was sat in the library trying to get through the Trasfiguration essay McGonagall had set them (this school's obsession with homework was nothing like his old primary school) when he looked up and caught Malfoy's eye. Malfoy always seemed to be brooding now- even when he was sat with the other boys, or at dinner, or walking to and from class. His air of arrogance had been replaced with a permanent, bad mood. He glared at Harry, and turned back to the bookcase he was perusing, pulling out a thick emerald covered book and opening it to the contents page, turning his back on the table of Slytherins./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Zabini, to Harry's left, was passing notes with Pansy, sat opposite him. They were in silent fits of laughter. Harry tried to put his head down and work again, but it was useless. His focus was gone. He grabbed his stuff, whispered to the other two he was going back to the Slytherin common room, and left quickly./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He turned down a quiet corridor and heard two voices whispering from a slightly cracked door. He edged closer to listen to the lowered voices./p  
p class="MsoNormal""They need to know!" the first whispered./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Dumbledore said no!" the other replied and harry instantly recognised the voice as McGonagall's. "They need time to adjust- it's too soon."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""The later we leave it, the more betrayed they'll feel, Minerva!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I understand that, Alastor, but Dumbledore was very clear with this- not until they've proven they can handle it!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Longbottom I understand- he's sensitive- but Potter! His parents would be furious if we didn't tell him."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""We will tell him," she replied, "Both of them. But we have to be careful. If we do this wrong, we risk losing both of them. Imagine if it were you- would you like to be told a piece of You-Know-Who's soul lives in you at eleven years old?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Harry felt bile rise from his stomach. Him, Potter? And Longbottom?/p  
p class="MsoNormal""How many people know about that night in Godric's Hollow?" growled the one names Alastor. "Too few. If we had been able to let people know how the Dark Lord was defeated, it would have been easier to tell the boys!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Minerva mumbled something that Harry didn't catch as he inched closer to the door. "- in the past now, no point in bringing that up."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""There is a point,"Alastor said. Harry saw movement on the shadows on the wall. "Potter's standing right outside the door."/p 


	6. The Meeting in the Library

**A/N- So I ran out of motivation, sort of, because I'm useless and a lil bit tired- curse this illness! I'm almost better, but I've been spending a lot of time watching cheesy TV shows with meet-cutes and all that and I'm just going to admit that it impacted this chapter a little bit. I just like them! I don't know why! They're cute!**

 **Anyway, please enjoy, and leave me some feedback- my writing style is a bit rambly I know, and my grammar isn't the best, but please keep in mind English isn't my first language so there's bound to be mistakes.**

 **Thank you, and enjoy!**

Draco Malfoy Had been spending an unusual amount of time in the library. He had been studying harder than ever, not that his grades showed it. The only thing he was really good at was Potions, and sometimes Defence Against the Dark Arts. In his opinion, everything else was useless. Who cared about Herbology? And Transfiguration had turned out to be a disappointment- more theory than practice. He personally believed that theory was for before school started. They were supposed to hit the ground running.

One of the evenings when he was sat in the library, measuring his essay on Troll Sightings in 18th-century Europe for History of Magic, when his eagle owl, Persephone, arrived with a letter. She dropped it on top of his parchment, of which he still had two inches to fill, and nudged his hand with her beak. He petted her absentmindedly and turned the letter over, immediately recognising his family seal, and unfolded it.

 _Dearest Draco,_

 _It has been two weeks and we haven't heard anything from you. How is school? How are your classes? I know it must be a tough transition for you, but please remember to write home. Your father and I are waiting to hear from you._

 _We heard recently, from Lillian Parkinson of all people, that you were sorted into Gryffindor. Of course, this disappointed us greatly, but no number of letters to Dumbledore seem to change his mind- he's insistent that it is where you belong. If you would rather transfer to Durmstrang, we have already spoken with the headmaster there- a charming man, professor Karkaroff. He would be happy to take you- it's not too late for you to get a proper education. This is solely down to you, but I encourage you to explore this option as it would benefit you in so much more than just your education._

 _My son remember I want what is best for you. But if Dumbledore continues to disrespect you as such, do not hesitate to write and we will withdraw you immediately._

 _Your Father sends his regards and encourages you to consider Durmstrang as it would be much more suited to your needs. I have to say, I agree with his sentiments. I also hope to hear from you this week, before your Father and I begin to seriously worry about your wellbeing. We are aware that your owl has not been making journeys to and from Hogwarts. If she is injured or has taken ill, use one of the school's owls. I seem to remember they have a lovely owlery with beautiful Tawny owls that you can use. Of course, they have other breeds, but we all know Tawny owls will blend in best with the neighbourhood._

 _I hope this letter finds you in the best of health,_

 _Your loving Mother,_

 _Narcissa Malfoy_

Draco read, and re-read the letter, then dropped it into his schoolbag. He'd write back when his head didn't feel like foam. Chewing his lip, he reached for his quill again, and tried to write another paragraph, but it was no use. He simply couldn't bring himself to care about trolls and the Muggles who'd seen them.

He looked up, and saw Granger staring over at him. At first, he thought she might just be lost in thought, but then he saw she was just studying him intently. When she realised he had noticed her staring, she dropped her gaze back to her book, embarrassed. She glanced back up at him, and he glanced back.

Without realising he was doing it, he had swept his possessions into his bag and was standing in front of her table. She looked up at him, confused.

"You mind if I sit here?" he asked, nodding at the empty seat opposite her.

She nodded and looked back down at her essay. Several minutes passed, and she could feel him watching her write. He wasn't the most discreet of humans. It made it hard to concentrate. She hated being studied. "You need to stop," she said, in a forced calm voice.

"Stop what?" he asked in a falsely innocent voice.

"Staring," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I'm trying to focus."

He looked away, embarrassed. "Sorry." He looked down at his own work. "It's just..."

"What?"

"You didn't tell Weasley and the others… about the train, did you?"

She put her quill down and looked up. "No. I didn't. is that why you're here? Because I'm busy."

"It's not just that…" he leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell them?"

She shrugged. "So I could look weaker than I already did? No thanks." She spat the last two words out as though they were toxic.

Malfoy scrunched his nose. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. I…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Malfoy. I couldn't care less." She started packing her things. It was clear she wasn't going to get any more work done, with Malfoy around. She may as well head back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Besides, it was almost curfew.

"Where are you going?" he asked, watching her put her six textbooks, several scrolls, and three quills into her bag.

"To sleep. Look at the time- it's a miracle we haven't been kicked out yet!"

He looked up at the clock above the library entrance, which indicated it was ten to ten. He stood up too and then picked up her bag.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Carrying your bag, duh."

"That's really not necessary," she protested, reaching for her bag, but he pulled out of her reach.

"I'm a lot of things, Granger, but I'm not about to make you carry this bag when I'm right here- it must weigh a ton! What do you have in here?"

"None of your business."

He rolled his eyes. Muggle-borns- always so feisty. "Anyway, let's go. Ravenclaw tower, right?"

She nodded, and the two set off. Several times, she though she was him staring again. They walked up the almost deserted staircases in silence, apart from his increasingly heavy breathing. "Are you sure you don't want to let me carry my own bag?" she teased. "We're almost there, and you sound like you're about to collapse."

He shook his head. "It's- fine- we're- so- close-"

She looked at him and saw, for the first time, he wasn't pale and polished. He looked flushed, almost purple, and was trying to adjust the bag strap on his shoulder.

They reached the door just in time. He pushed the bag off of his shoulder and glared at her. "Do you really need all of those books every day? You must have the strength of a Giant!"

She laughed, and he marvelled how it lit up her face. It occurred to him he hadn't really seen her smile like this before- the wan smile to the prefect, or the perfectly placed teacher's-pet smile, they were masks. Facades. He should know, he wore them too often.

He started laughing too. Nothing was particularly funny, but they couldn't stop. Tears were running down their faces by the time their laughter died down. The Ravenclaw prefect stuck her head out of the portrait-hole, but when she was it was Hermione, she relaxed and went back into the common room.

"Well," said Hermione, wiping her cheeks, "That was the best laugh I've had in a while."

Draco nodded, still smiling. He didn't want to say it, but that was probably the most he'd laughed in his whole life. she gave him another smile, shyer this time, and turned toward the painting.

"Can you rearrange the letters in new door to make one word?" asked the painting.

Draco stared. "Isn't she going to ask for the password?"

"She did," said Hermione, "Our passwords are riddles. What do you think? Can you rearrange new door to make one word?"

He racked his brains but couldn't think of anything. "What's the point in that? If you get it wrong, you're trapped out here?"

She giggled. "True, but that's how you learn. You see?" she turned toward the painting. "Of course, you can- it's an anagram."

The portrait swung open to reveal the common room, and Hermione swooped down to pick up her bag. "Goodnight, Draco," she whispered as she stepped through the hole, smiling back at him as the door swung back behind her. Backlit by the fire, surrounded by blue and bronze, she looked more alive than ever.

"Goodnight, Hermione." The words were so quiet, his throat so dry, he wasn't sure if she had heard them.

He basically danced back to the Gryffindor common room.

As he approached the Fat Lady's painting, he saw two familiar figures. "Harry? Neville?" he stepped up to them. "Are you two okay?"

The two turned towards him, still shell shocked by the news they had just received.


	7. McGonagall's Office

p class="MsoNormal"strongA/N- I got some feedback that said the last chapter was "hard to read", which I get, so if anyone has any further details on how I could make it a bit easier to read I'd really appreciate that feedback too! /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongSorry I took a break, uni has been mad with deadlines and assessments and presentations- I swear, this degree will finish me before I finish it! /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongThanks for your patience with this, I hope this next chapter is a little easier to read. I feel like I wrote myself into a corner and was trying to figure it out for the longest time but it just wasn't working. I hope it's not too unbelievable and works within the context of the story. /strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongThank you for reading, if you have any comments please leave them below, and as always, Enjoy!/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal" /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville and Harry sat in McGonagall's office, opposite her desk, nervously. She was sat facing them, her fingertips pressed to her temples. Alastor Moody stood in the corner with an unreadable expression, leaning against his cane./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Alastor, it really is not a good idea for you to be here," said McGonagall in her clipped Scottish accent./p  
p class="MsoNormal"He grunted in response. "Boys need to know the truth. Leave it to you, they probably won't know until they're in the real world. And then it'll be too late."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"She sighed, feeling harassed, and put her hands down. "Dumbledore should be here, at least."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Moody nodded. "He's on his way."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You called for him already?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Minerva," he almost scoffed. "It's Albus we're talking about here. He knows exactly what's going on."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded once in agreement, and the door swung open. In walked the headmaster, in purple robes and a matching hat. He sighed as he stepped through the door and analysed the situation. Moody had planned this, clearly, and with his magical eye he must have seen Albus cast his spell from outside the room. Still, best to get this over with then he would explain to Minerva and Alastor what he'd done./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Minerva," he greeted. "Alastor- I thought you were meant to be back in London?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Had to be here for this, Albus." His gaze was unwavering and met the headmasters' perfectly./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Very well," Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, Neville I suppose you're wondering why you're here."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Harry chewed the inside of his lip. From what he'd overheard- he knew why he was here. He and Neville had pieces of You-Know-Who inside of them./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Dumbledore closed the door and entered the room, drawing up a chair next to McGonagall's and another near Moody, and they both sat. "There are… many things that are unclear to all of us," he said, brushing his white beard flat. "And many of them revolve around Halloween of 1981, the day all four of your parents passed." He coughed hesitantly. "From what we can understand- and it's still unclear whether this is exactly what happened, it's just a theory at the moment-"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Moody snorted. "Dumbledore's theories are usually accurate." He sniped./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Dumbledore fixed him with a stare before returning to the two students. "It appears that Frank and Alice Longbottom- yes, your parents, Neville- were visiting the Potters in Godric's Hollow, the night that Voldemort attacked. When we arrived at the scene, we found them. They died defending their two sons./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You two were protected by your parent's protections, and it sounds as though each of your mothers must have placed protection charms on you, unwittingly or otherwise./p  
p class="MsoNormal""But something else happened- Voldemort disappeared, we all know that. Yet when I inspected the house, I saw clear traces of a powerful magic."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""What… magic, sir?" Harry asked nervously./p  
p class="MsoNormal""One beyond the normal bounds of wizardry and witchcraft. One that is so rare, most do not know of its existence…" Dumbledore's eyes were cloudy, it was clear he was remembering a dark memory. "You need not concern yourselves with that. All you need to know is: whatever it did to affect you, it does not change who you are. You are both strong young men, stronger than Voldemort could ever be. I want you to remember that."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Moody scowled in the corner but said nothing./p  
p class="MsoNormal"After further assuring the two boys that there was nothing wrong, they were ushered out of the office and sent back to their common rooms./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Albus turned to Alastor, furious. "How are you do this!" he didn't raise his voice, but each syllable felt more dangerous. "Do you realise you've put me in an impossible situation?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Moddy glared back. "Like you care," he growled, "You've probably already obliviated them- isn't that what you were doing outside?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""If you must know, no," replied Dumbledore matter-of-factly. "I simply locked away the memories. In a few minutes they will not be able to remember this conversation, and it can only be unlocked with a certain phrase from one of the people present during the conversation they're to forget. A rather nifty charm I developed, if I say so myself, though I'm not sure if how they will react in terms of feelings. It seems hormonal changes in children and teenagers may affect it. They may still feel anxious, though they don't know why." He looked over at Minerva. "I hope you understand why I did this."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"She nodded. "You did what you had to do. Though I recommend not unlocking these particular memories until they're mature enough to handle the stress- fifteen at least, I would say."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He nodded sagely in reply. "Yes, quite what I was thinking. We need to do this wisely." Turning back to Moody, he glared again. "And no more unnecessary contact with them, or giving extra information, until I give the go-ahead. You may have forgotten, Mad-Eye, but they are still children, and under my protection. I've always given you permission to come and go as you please- don't give me a reason to change that." The threat wasn't explicit, but Moody looked appropriately shamed (though most people wouldn't have noticed it- his face was blank and emotionless, but Dumbledore and McGonagall knew him well enough to know exactly what he was thinking.)/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Dumbledore left, closing the door behind him, and Moody vanished through the Floo fireplace. Minerva sank into her chair, suddenly exhausted, and in need of a Firewhisky./p  
p class="MsoNormal"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Walking to the stairs, Neville looked at Harry. "Do you want to come to the Gryffindor common room and talk about that?" he asked hesitantly, unsure of the rules about being in another house's designated area after hours./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Harry considered it. "It would be good to talk about this- and I don't fancy going back to the Slytherin common room right now. I know I'm supposed to be loyal to them, but I just don't feel totally comfortable there."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Neville nodded considerately, and the two set off in a companionable silence./p  
p class="MsoNormal"They were approaching the Fat Lady's portrait when footsteps came from behind them. "Harry? Neville?" he stepped up to them. "Are you two okay?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Harry stared at the pale boy. "Since when are we on a first name basis, Malfoy?" he asked, almost sneeringly./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Draco was taken aback. "I guess we're not," he said. The three stepped into the common room, Draco's good mood deflating into more brooding. "I'm going to bed. I'm not even going to ask what you're doing here," he added, nodding at Harry./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Once he was up in his dorm, he tossed his bag onto the ground. The letter from his mother fluttered onto the ground, and he glanced at it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to leave Hogwarts anymore. He had felt a kinship with Hermione, and he was sure she felt it too. He nudged the letter with his toe./p  
p class="MsoNormal""What's that?" asked Dean, laying sideways on his bed, his head hanging back. Naturally, Seamus was right next to him. The two were seemingly inseparable./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Letter from my parents," Draco grunted, and nudged it under his bed./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Dean nodded sympathetically. "They found out about where you were sorted? Let me guess, disappointed you didn't follow in their footsteps and end up in Slytherin?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""How did you know they were Slytherins?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Seamus snorted. "It's kind of… obvious, mate."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Draco shrugged, and kicked off his boots, picking up his pyjamas to change into them. He looked around. "Hey, where's Ron?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""With the twins, probably," Seamus and Dean cracked identical, evil smiles. Dean glanced at the pyjamas, then back at Draco with innocent eyes./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Draco eyed the two suspiciously. What did those smirks mean? Shrugging it off, he pulled on his pyjamas, only for them to immediately turn a horrible green-and-pink pattern. He sighed as the two boys roared with laughter. Three more laughs came from the doorway, and he turned to see Ron and the Twins standing there. "Very funny, guys," he sighed, pulling out his wand and changing the colour back to black./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Or rather, tried to change./p  
p class="MsoNormal"The pyjamas stayed gaudy and neon./p 


End file.
